Peninsula leaders are already flagging concerns about how to allocate potentially $50 million each year to the county if a regional sales tax passes this November.
The funds would be a part of the Connect Bay Area initiative, which will likely head to the ballot this November in four Bay Area counties, including San Mateo. The sales tax revenue from the measure would in large part go toward offsetting the massive deficits of the region’s largest transit agencies, including Caltrain and BART.
County and city leaders haven’t unanimously supported the measure, with some hesitant to financially support non-county based agencies and rely on seemingly never-ending sales tax measures to fund public transit. Others, however, have pointed out that the region’s public transit system faces existential threats if it doesn’t pass. Both BART and Caltrain leaders have said they could severely reduce or completely eliminate service if adequate external funding is not received.
Participating counties would also receive additional funds to use for public transit purposes, including operations and infrastructure, such as road repairs on routes served by fixed-route buses.
After extensive outreach and council meeting presentations, SamTrans leaders proposed broad buckets of spending, such as improving transit access to low-income residents, filling SamTrans’ operating deficit and enhancing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
Some board members and city leaders said they were concerned voters in cities without major transit routes, like Foster City, would be asked to support the measure without knowing how much funding they’d see in their communities in return.
“Cities like Foster City and Half Moon Bay and many others are being asked to support this measure, but under the current framework our residents could see little to no direct benefit. This is not equitable,” Foster City Councilmember Stacy Jimenez said during the meeting.
Others, such as Jackie Speier, board member and San Mateo County supervisor, said the community outreach process creates unrealistic expectations for residents.
“I wasn’t keen on going into the communities and doing this because I think it’s potentially giving them an expectation that will not be realized in the near term and maybe not even in the long term,” Speier said during the meeting.
She also added that pedestrian safety projects should also be on the priority list.
A final investment plan will go before the board in June.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
Daily Journal staff
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Dirk van Ulden said:
Karenlyons said:
This was actually a no-hitter.
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